PH Ambassador to Portugal Accepts the Chairpersonship of the ASEAN Committee in Lisbon Portugal through a Video Conference Meeting

First row: Thai Ambassador to Portugal Krongkanit Rakcharoen (left), Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna M. Feria (middle), Ms. Ajeng Widianty, Charge d’Affaires of the Indonesian Embassy to Portugal (rightmost); Second row: Vice Consul Maria Flordeliza A. Tuiza (left), Consul Reginald S. Bernabe (middle) of the Philippine Embassy in Portugal, and Mr. Rudi Winandoko Second Secretary of the Indonesian Embassy in Portugal; Third row: Ms. Michelle Reyes, Cultural Officer of the Philippine Embassy in Portugal

LISBON 06 August 2020 — Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna M. Feria formally accepted the six-month Chairpersonship of the ASEAN Committee in Lisbon Portugal (ACLP) from Ms. Ajeng Widianty, Charge d’Affaires of the Indonesian Embassy in Portugal through a video conference meeting on 02 July 2020.

Thai Ambassador to Portugal Krongkanit Rakcharoen and members of her staff also participated in the video conference. Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand are the three ASEAN member states with resident missions in Portugal which form part the ACLP.

At the video conference meeting, Ambassador Feria led the discussions on the way forward for ACLP activities under the “new normal conditions”. As part of the Philippine ACLP Chairpersonship, Ambassador Feria proposed several initiatives.

For this year’s ASEAN Day celebration in August, a special program featuring traditional music from the ten ASEAN countries will be broadcasted by international web radio station based in Portugal, CBFwebRadio, an online radio station broadcasting music from around the world, 24 hours a day with the purpose of embracing the world through traditional music. The proposed ASEAN day activity will be a two-hour radiobroadcast featuring traditional and modern music representing each of the ASEAN member countries. Apart from the resident missions of the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, non-resident ASEAN missions in Paris and Rome accredited to Portugal were invited to participate. 

Other proposed activities include a webinar discussing the historical relevance of the ASEAN nations in the Magellan-Elcano Expedition route 500 years ago, especially for the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The webinar is aimed to inform and emphasize to the Portuguese audience the shared narratives and linkages between ASEAN countries and Portugal.

Under the “new normal”, Philippine Ambassador Celia Anna M. Feria encouraged other ACLP members to re-invent the implementation of initiatives, projects and activities of ACLP by finding more innovative ways to promote ASEAN in Portugal through the use of cost-free and available online and digital platforms. END

Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna M. Feria (first row, middle) holds the turnover report submitted by the Indonesian Embassy.

For more information, visit https://www.lisbonpe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinPortugal/.